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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. M. &- D. T. SHARPLES. CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

No. 442,461. Patented Dec. 9, 1890.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

P. M. &a D. T. SHARPLES.

CENTRIFUGAL SBPARATOR.

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PTIILIP M. SIIARPLES, OF \\'ES'L` CllESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, AND DAVID T.

STTARPLES, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS. I

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATI N fo'ming part of LettersPatent No. &42,461, dated December 9, 1890.

Application filed March 6, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, PHILIP M. SHARPLEs, of est Chester, eounty of Chester, State of Pennsylvania, and DAVID T. SHARPLES, of

i Elgin, in the county of Kane, State of Illinois, citizens of the United States, have invented certain Improvements in Centrifugal Separators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates inore especially to that class of centritugal machines which are adapted to separate the lighter from the heavier constituent of a compound fluid, as Cream from the blue milk.

The improvements relate, nainly, to the method of Operating the centrifugal Vessel and of increasing its Capacity. The eentrifugal Vessel is suspendedin a casing and is operated directly by the motive power, a drivingspndle being entirely dispensed with and the balancing of the Vessel only being required. The motive power is applied at the outer wall of the Vessel, and is preferably a heated jet or jets, (as of steann) which, while drivin; the Vessel, at the same time by contact with said outer wall inparts to the heavierconstituent of the compound liquid (as milk) undergoing separation an increased heat, which inaterially assists in hastening the complete separation of the lighterconstituent (Cream) without materially heating the latter.

Other features are set forti), in connection with the accompanying drawngs, in the following detailed description ol' the practical application of the invention.

Figure 1 is a partly-sectional elevaton of a machine of prefcrred Construction enbodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same with the skini-milk and creani receptacles removed and showing the arrangenent of three jets. Figs. 3 and e are respectively a sectional elevation and a plan of a machine, showing some niodifications of our inve'tion.

The centrifugal separator-vessel G, which is represented as mainly of a well-known form in Vertical machines, is dished at the bottom and provided with a central pivot c', which is socketed in a step b, forming part of the casing or frame A. This step is projected upward in the dished base of the vessel, so as to Serial No. 342396. (Ne model.)

bring the suspension-point c' to about the center of gravity ot' the Vessel and its load when the machine is in operation. The casing A rests upon a suitable base a, and is forned with a central passage a', communicating at its lower end with anysuitable conduit. The step b extends upward from a partition-plate b', which is located between the base of the separator-vessel and the mouth of the passage a', forming a chamber ?1 comnunicating by openings I) with the upper portion of the casin Upon the upper edge of the casing is supported in an ordinary inanner receptacles D and E and cover F, which extend inward to the open throat c, and receive, respectively, the skinrnlk and cream which are continuously delivered during the operation of the machine. The new milk is admitted in any suitable nanner, as through a tube c, in front of a blade c which compels it to rotate with the yessel.

The motive power which we employ to rotate `the VOSSGl C consists, preferably, of one or more jets, as of stean, directed by suitably-lccated nozzles a?, against wings orbuckets d, projecting from the periphery of the vessel. These projections, which are represented as forming part of a band Secured to the periphery ol' the Vessel, are preferably arranged in the same horizontal plane with the point of suspension c', and a single jet may be thus employed without necessarily affecting the balancing ot` the vessel. The projections (Z may be arra-nged and shaped in any desired manner, but are here shown as forming an acute angle, with the periphery of the Vessel on the side against which the jet impinges, and also out of line axially, the lower edge being behind the upper. The nozzles (0 of which three are represented in Fig. 2, are shown as directed downward in Fig. l, and are arranged symnetrically, so that their combined action when properly adjusted does not at'fect the balancing of the vessel. immediately above the projections (Z an annular partition h, of glass or other nonheat-conducting material, is supported on a circular ledge (0 of the casing A, its inner edge being arranged to clear the periphery of the rotating vessel.

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Our machine may be operated directly by the action of any escaping jet; but we prefer to use, generally, either steam or some hcavier fluid projected thereby, first, because the great speed at which vessels of this character are rotated necessitates the use of a jet of high velocity, and, secondly, because ot' the effect which the heat thus applied has in accelerating and eompleting the separation of the crean from the milk, which ettect we will now describe. As the new milk is admitted to the vessel in a contin uous stream, it is gradually brought under the centrifugal action, and almost immediately there is an incomplete separation of the crean from the blue milk, the latter with a proportion of the cream still mixed With it being thrown toward the outer wall of the vessel. On account of the greater facility with which these particles of cream can tear loose from their mechanical mixture with the blue milk it has been eustomary and advantageous to feed the new milk into the vessel at a higher temperature than would otherwise be done. In our machine, however, though the new milk be at alower temperature, the separatiou will be more rapid and thorough than with warmer milk ordinarily, which is due to the fact that after. the main portion of the cream has been separated by the first effect of the centrifuga-l force the milk, which still contains a considerable proportion of cream, is thrown against the outer wall of the vessel and heated thereby, owin g to the contact of the hot jet or jets with the outer surface. The temperature being thus raised, every particle of cream is quickly released from the skini-milk and finds its way to the inner wall of cream, the temperature of which may be slightly raised thereby, though it will still be con siderably cooler than usual, and yet a larger proportion of it will be obtained in less time.

The purpose of the annular partition h is to prevent anynoticeable effect of heat upon the parts above the same. The downward direction of the jet tends to defiect it below the projecting buckets d, and the fan-like action of the latter assists in exhausting the steam exclusively through the openings 6 and central passage or exhaustoutlet a', the deflector-plate b', which extends uearly to the periphery of the vessel, tending to prevent contact of the steam with the bottom of the vessel.

In Figs. 3 and etwe have illustrated a modified Construction, embodying, however, the main features of ourinvention. The separator-Vessel is Suspended in substantially the same way, except that the point of suspension m is shown considerably above the center of gravity. It is rotated by the reaction instead of impact, steam being admitted through a pipe n and central steam-passage 7.3 through the step b, said passage comn unicating by a ball-joint at m with branches Z l, terminating in nozzles Z" at the periphery of the vessel. These nozzles are shown decidedly below both the center of gravity and point of suspension of the vessel, which arrangement, though inferior to that already described, is yet quite satisfactoryif the jets be synmetrically arranged so as to balance each other. The exhaust in this case is through openings g in the wall ot' the casing.

The advantages of our improved Construction and method of operation over those here tofore in use are very decided. The method of suspending and Operating the Separator- Vessel directly, as described, has the Very great advantage of necessitating but one balancing, whereas when a spindle is used, whether operated by a steam-j et orotherwise, not only must bot-h the spindle and the vessel be placed and kept in balance, but beariugs must be used, which are a great source of trouble. The extremely high speed at which these vessels revolve makes the perfect balancing of them a necessity, and the accomplishment of this is greatly simplified by employing but one revolving body and but one step, as in our Construction. hen a spindle is used, the center of balance' of the vessel and spindle combined (which is the center of rotation) must be exactly in the center of the spindle, or else the bearings will necessarily become heated. The minutest variation of the center of the spindle from this true center of rotation will thus cause trouble in the beariugs, whereas in our Construction the variation of the center of suspension from the true center of rotation may be comparatively large without noticeable eitect. hen the point of suspension is at the center of gravity of the load ed 'vessel and the jets of steam, compressed air, or other suitable medium act upon the periphery on the same horizontal plane as the center of suspension, the highest degree of effic-iency will be Secured, though slight variations do not materially affect the results.

The important advantage gained by heating the partially-skimmed milk during the operation of the machine, thus securing cooler cream and yet a perfect and rapid separation of it from the blue milk, has been already referred to.

Having thus fully set forth our invention and the neans for practically and advantageously using it, we do not limit it to the forms of machine illustrated; but

hat we claim is- -1. The improvement in the process ot' creaming milk by centrifugal force, which consists in increasing the temperature of 'the portion of the liquid in rotating Separator-vessel which is farthest from the center of rotation, sub stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The improvement in the process of creaming milk by centrifugal force, which consists in heating the wall of the Separator-vessel during its operation, whereby the heavier outer portion of the liquid is made warmer than the lighter inner portion, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

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3. In a centrifugal machine, a Separator-vessel Suspended upon a fixed hearing located substantially in the perpendicular passing through the center of gravity of the loaded Vessel, in eombination with means for applying rotating power directly to said Vessel, sub- Stantially as set forth.

l. In a eentrfugal machine, a rotary separator-vessel pivotally Suspended, substantially as described, in combination with a nozzle or nozzles located at the periphery of the vessel and adapted to apply a jet, as ot steam, thereto, Whereby said vessel is directly rotated and the heat of the jet utilized, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a centrifugal naehin e, a Separator-Vessel Suspended at the center ol' g'ravity of the loaded Vessel upon a fixed hearing, in combination with means for applying rotating power at the periphery of said Yessel, substantially as set forth.

(3. In a centrifugal machine, the combination, with the casing provided with an exhaust outlet or outlets and with the receptacles supported thereon, of a Separator-ves sel Suspended within said casng and provided with a series of peripheral prej eetions located above said exhaust-outlet and arranged at an angle to the axial plane, substantially as described, and a nozzle arranged to direct a jet (as of steam) against said projections, sul)- stantially as set forth.

7. In a centrifugal machine, a Separator-Vessel Suspended upon a fixed hearing, in combination withmeans for applying rotating power 3 5 to the periphery of said Vessel upon the same horizontal plane as the center of suspension, subslantially as set forth.

8. In a centrifugal Separator, the eombination, with a suspended rotary Vessel operated directly by steam, substantially as described, of a casing provided with a central exhaustoutlet, as a', an intermediate perforate plate forming an eXhaust-ehamber 0 and a central support, as I), for said Vessel, substantially as set forth.

PHILIP M. SHARPLES. DAVID T. SHARPLES.

lVit-nesses as to the signature of Philip N. Sharples:

- M. SHARPLES, M. L. WALsH. lVt-nesses as to the signature of ITaVid T. Sharples.

J. N. THOMPSON, F. E. ALLEN. 

